Stop motion for braiding machine



Oct. 21, 1958 B. HUTNICK 2,856,803

STOP MOTION FOR BRAIDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1llllllllllllllllllllllIlllllh Oct. 21, 1958 B. HUTNICK STOP MOTION FORBRAIDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1955 I 1|. IlrPEELFUnite States Pa STOP MUTTON FOR BRAIDING MACHINE Benjamin Hutnick,Malden, Mass. Application November23, 1955,; SeriaLNo 548,677 4 Claims.(Cl. 8718)" This invention relates to a simpleuand relativelyinexpensive stop motion device for .braidingmachines such as are used inthe manufacture-of elastictaper In machines of this type a desirednumber of rubber warps are drawn from spools or bobbins .topass throughaguide ring (braiding eye) near the top ofthe machine. A number ofbobbins of textile yarns, such as cotton thread, are carried by themachine in and out between the rubber threads so as to braid the cotton.threads'about the rubber threads, thus forming a tape. Machines of thistype are power driven through a clutch which can be disengaged to stopthe machine, and stopmotion devices are employed to disengage the clutchautomatically if one of the cotton threads breaks. According to thepresent 'invention, the machine is modified in a simple inexpensivemanner to provide means responsive to they breaking of a rubber warp todisengage the clutch and stop themachine.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be hadto the following descriptionthereof, and to the drawing, of which-Figure 1 is a plan view of a braiding machine=having an embodiment ofthe invention thereon;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an elevational view, on. alarger scale,,of a bottom latchcarrier with a bobbin .of cotton thread thereon;

Figure 4 is a similar view from another angle;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an elevational view of a warp guide and tension device;

Figure 7 is a similar view from another angle; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the tension device and abobbin carrier.

The drawings show a standard type of braiding machine to which a novelstop mechanism has been applied, this mechanism consisting of relativelysimple and inexpensive attachments which require little alteration ofthe original machine. The machine comprises the usual top plate 10 andbottom plate 12 supported by legs 14. The top plate has a sinuous slot16 which defines quoits 18, eight of these being shown in Figure 1. Atthe center of each quoit is a warp guide 20. These warp guides are novelin structure and are hereinafter described in more detail. The rubberwarps are supplied from spools 22 mounted below the machine, theindividual warps being led up through tubular warp studs (not shown) onwhich the warp guides are screw-threaded. From the warp guides the warpspass to a braiding eye 24, the cotton threads being braided around theportions of the warps approaching the eye.

In the machine shown on the drawings, seventeen cotton threads aresupplied from as many bobbins 26, only one such bobbin with its carrier28 being shown in Figure 1. These carriers are propelled along the slot16 by the usual cams driven by a train of gears 30. According to theinvention, one or more of these carriers may be modified as hereinafterdescribed, one modified carrier being sufficient.

The machine is driven by power supplied througha belt pulley 32, bevelgears 34 and a clutch 36. The latter canbedisengaged by depressing aclutch lever 38 which is held up by a vertical rod 40 attached thereto.Near the upper end of the rod 40 is a notch in which an extension 42 ona stop motion lever 44 engages. If the lever 44 is rocked to the rightas shown in Figure 1, the rod 40 is released and permits-the clutchlever 38 to fall, disengaging the clutch 36 so that the machine stops.

According to the invention, all of the usual warp guides are replacedby' special. warp guides like the one: illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and8. This comprises a vertical tubular shank a side ofwhichis cut away asat 52 for a: major portionof its length. Opposite the open side'52 is aslot 54 for a. screw 56 by which a block 58 isadjustably secured withinthe shank 50. A wingedhead 60 came screw facilitates tightening andloosening it. From the block 58 a light tension spring 62 extends to aheaded pin 63 which extends loosely through a block 64. This block ispivoted at 66 to the upper end 'ofthe shank 50, the pivot beinglaterally offset from the centerof gravity of the block 64 and the axisof the shank 50. The block 64 is rockable from the upright positionshown in Figure 6 to the tilted or fallen position shown in Figure 8 bythe force of gravity and the pull of the spring 6.2. The block 64 isnormally held in its upright position by a rubber warp strand 70 whichcomes from one of the spools 22 up throughthe bottom and top plates to aforked guide element 72, thence around a tension drum 74*and onto thebraiding eye 24.

The tension drum 74 is rotatable about the vertical pin 63, the head ofthe pin bearing on the upper face of the drum. The bottom face 'of thedrum bears on a felt washer 78 on the top of the block. The frictionaldrag of the drum onythe felt washer provides an even, adjustabletensionon the warp 70 which can. be regulated by moving the block 58 upor down to decrease or increase the tension of the spring 62. If thewarp 70 breaks, the block 64 rocks to the tilted position shown inFigure 8. The spring 62 thus has the double function of regulating thetension on the I warp 70 and assisting gravity in causing the block64-to tilt when the warp breaks.

The guide forrn 72 on each warp guide is a part of the stop motionmechanism, being arranged to act as a tripping member as hereinafterdescribed. As indicated in Figure 2, the warp guides 20 are arranged onthe top plate 10 in such a way that the guide forks 72 project outwardfrom the circle of warp guides. One of the bobbin carriers 28 ismodified as illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 to cooperate with theguide forks 72. For this purpose the modified carrier is made with atubular spindle 80 in which is fitted a stem 82. A block 84 is removablymounted on the upper portion 86 of the stem 82 which projects above theupper end of the tubular spindle 80. The upper portion 86 of the stem ispreferably non-round, e. g. semi-round, and fits into a hole of similarcross-section in the block 84 so that the block and stem must turntogether. Any suitable means such as a spring-pressed ball detent 88 maybe employed to keep the block 84 from coming oif accidentally. The lowerend of the stem 82 is fixed in a block 90 which fits in a cutaway recessin the bottom of the base 92 of the carrier. The block 84, the block 90and the stem 82 are thus parts of a rocker which turns as a unit aboutthe axis of the stem 82. A spring-pressed detent 94 carried by the block98 normally engages in a shallow dent in the base 92 to hold the rockerreleasably in the position shown in full lines in Figure 5. If the upperblock 84 is turned one way or the other from its normal angularposition, the lower block 90 must also turn through the same angle. Theangle of turn is limited by fixed pins 3 96 and 98 which are set in thebase 92 and are engageable by the block 90 when it turns.

The operation of the parts of the stop motion mechanism thus fardescribed is as follows. During the operation of the machine, themodified carrier 28 travels along the endless sinuous slot 16 whichguides it past'all of the eight warp guides in succession. If the forkedtripping members 72 are supported by the warp strands in their normalposition, as shown in Figure 6, the block 84 passes below them. If awarp strand breaks, it releases the corresponding tripping member 72which it has been supporting. This member drops to the fallen positionshown in Figure 8 where it intercepts the block 84 when the modifiedcarrier next passes it. The guide 72 hits an end of the block 84 andturns the rocker of .whichthe block 84 is a part. The block 90 takes oneof the positions indicated in broken lines in Figure 5. In eitherposition the forward end of the block 90 projects out laterally beyondthe plane of one of the side faces of the base 92. As indicated inFigure 1, the stop motion lever 44 is shaped and arranged so thatportions of it are normally close to the slot 16 at points 100 and 102.When the carrier 28 passes these points its base just clears the lever44, as indicated in Figure 4. If, however, the rocker has been turned byan encounter of the block 84 with a fallen tripping member 72, theprojecting end of the block 90 will engage the lever 44 at either thepoint 100 or the point 102, depending on which way the block 90 has beenturned from its normal position. The lever 44 is thus displacedsufficiently to release the vertical rod 40 and disengage the clutch 36.The machine stops at once and awaits the fixer who joins the broken endsof the warp strand, resets the rocker, and restarts the machine.

I claim:

1. In a braiding machine including a number of bobbin carriers, braidingmechanism for moving said carriers to braid the yarns from the bobbinscarried by the carriers, a series of upstanding guides for warp strandsabove said braiding mechanism, and a stop motion device responsive tothe breaking of one of said yarns to stop the machine; means foractivating said stop motion device to stop the machine in response tothe breaking of one of said warp strands, said means comprising atripping member mounted on each said warp strand guide and movablethereon from an elevated position to a fallen position, and rockablemeans carried by one of said carriers for activating the stop motiondevice, said rockable means including a part arranged to engage and bemoved 4 by any fallen tripping member, and another part movabletherewith to engage and activate said stop motion device.

2. In a braiding machine including a plurality of bobbin carriers,braiding mechanism for moving said carriers to braid the yarns frombobbins on said carriers, and stop motion mechanism responsive to thebreaking of one of said yarns to stop the machine, said stop motionmechanism including a lever mounted adjacent to the path of saidcarriers and rockable to cause the machine to stop; a series of uprightwarp strand guides mounted above said braiding mechanism, each said warpguide having a tripping member carried thereby and movable thereon froman elevated position to a fallen position, each said tripping memberbeing normally supported in its elevated position by a warp strand, arocker carried by one of said carriers, said rocker including one partarranged to clear said tripping members when in their elevated positionbut to strike and be rocked by any said tripping member in the fallenposition, said rocker having another part movable toproject laterallyfrom the carrier when the rocker strikes a fallen tripping member, saidstop motion lever being engageable by said projecting part of the rockerto stop the machine.

3. In a braiding machine, an elongated warp strand guide adapted to bemounted in a vertical position, an

upper block mounted at the upper end of said guide, a warp tensiondevice comprising a horizontal friction disk on the top of said block, aflanged drum resting on said disk, at headed pin extending loosely downthrough said drum, said disk, and the upper part of said guide, the headof said pin bearing on the upper face of said drum, a lower blockadjustably mounted on said guide below the upper end thereof, and atension spring attached at one end to said lower block and at the otherend to said pin whereby to press said drum against said friction disk.

4. In a braiding machine having a stop motion device, mechanism as setforth in claim 3, said upper block being pivotally attached to said warpguide and rockable from an upright position to a tilted or fallenposition, and a combined guide and tripping member projecting from saidblock to guide a warp strand to said drum and to cause the stop motiondevice to operate when the block is in its fallen position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,961,620 Murray June 5, 1934

